National Tour of I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE Opens Tonight at Segerstrom Center

Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomes the national tour of I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE, the brand new hit stage show adapted from the most beloved program in television history, today, March 18 - 23 in Segerstrom Hall.

Single tickets start at $29 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, March 22 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.

An "out-of-body experience for Lucy fans" according to Showbiz Chicago. I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE takes audience members back to 1952 as members of the Desilu Playhouse studio audience where they await the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes, "The Benefit" and "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined."

A charming host entertains and enlightens the crowd to the behind-the-scenes filming process of a brand new thing called "television," the Crystaltone Singers perform advertising jingles in perfect '50s style harmony and the sidesplitting antics of America's favorite foursome - Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel - are presented live on stage and in color for the very first time. It's a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience TV Guide's William Keck calls "the most entertaining stage production I've seen in years - including Broadway!"

Sirena Irwin and Bill Mendieta lead the company as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, reprising the roles they created in the original Los Angeles and ChicaGo Productions. Kevin Remington and JoAnna Daniels play Fred and Ethel Mertz, the Ricardo's loveable landlords and sidekicks. The cast also includes Sarah Elizabeth Combs, Gregory Franklin, Peter Kevoian, Jayme Lake, Carlos Martin, Tyler Milliron, Denise Moses, Cindy Sciacca, Jeffrey Christopher Todd, Mark Christopher Tracy, Carolynne Warren and Tamara Zook.

I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE is staged and directed by Rick Sparks and adapted for the stage with new material by Kim Flagg and Rick Sparks. The creative team also includes Wayne Moore (music direction, arrangements and special lyrics), Peitor Angell (original music), Aaron Henderson (scenic design), Shon LeBlanc (costume design), Kelly Bailey (associate costume design), Chris Wojcieszyn (lighting design), Cricket S. Myers (sound design), Diane Martinous (hair/wig design), Desiree Falcon (make-up design) and Sarah Hall (production stage management).

The I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE on-stage band comprises Wayne Moore (musical director, conductor and first keyboard), Andy Belling (assistant conductor and second keyboard), Ron Barrows (trumpet), Steve Bringelson (bass), Dave Lotfi (drums/conga), David Olivas (saxophone), Nicholas Stankus (guitar, banjo and conga).

The iconic hit sitcom I LOVE LUCY originally aired on CBS from 1951 - 1957 for a total of six seasons and 179 episodes and is widely considered to be one of the most popular programs in the history of television. Due in no small part to its relatable characters, sharp comedic writing and Lucille Ball's signature zany charm, the show continues to endear new audiences with every passing generation. The program was a technical trailblazer, pioneering the multi-camera shooting technique (still employed by the majority of traditional sitcoms to this day) and the use of 35mm film for the capture of a weekly, 30-minute scripted television program (which made possible the re-airing of episodes at a later date, what we now know as "reruns"). In September 2012, I LOVE LUCY was named the Best TV Show of All Time and the Greatest TV Comedy by People Magazine and ABC's 20/20 dubbed it the Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time.

I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE had its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Greenway Court Theatre from October 2011 - February 2012. A subsequent Chicago production was launched that played two sold-out engagements at the Broadway Playhouse, September 2012 - March 2013. The show is produced by Stephen Kahn (executive producer), David George (executive producer), Allan Williams (executive producer), Jeff Davis (executive producer), Hyra George, Kim Flagg, Dede Harris and Sharon Karmizan under license from CBS Consumer Products.

For more information, visit www.ILoveLucyLive.com.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center traces its roots back to the late 1960s when a dedicated group of community leaders decided Orange County should have its own world-class performing arts venue.

As Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization, Segerstrom Center for the Arts owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for the Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming each season for audiences of all ages from throughout Orange County and beyond, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. It offers many education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. These programs reach hundreds of thousands of students of all ages with vital arts-in-education programs, enhancing their studies and enriching their lives well into the future.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE is set for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Segerstrom Hall March 18 - 23, 2014, Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, March 22 will include audio description, open captioning and sign- language interpretation. Tickets start at $29. The Box Office is located at 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. or daily online at SCFTA.org or by calling (714) 556-2787.

Information provided is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization. "Segerstrom Center for the Arts" is a registered trademark.

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